Regulatory Monitoring

Service: NPDES Monitoring and Reporting (Discharge Monitoring Report)

Overview: OH&S Environmental Management program is responsible for the monthly monitoring and reporting of water discharge point sources permitted by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) on the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Campus. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was established by the Clean Water Act to protect water in the United States from pollution by regulating discharge point sources that flow directly to surface water. Discharge point sources are locations on campus where water from sources such as boilers, chillers, and cooling towers is blown down to mix with storm water in the storm water sewer system. The quality of the blown down water must be monitored at all times in order to prevent pollution in the receiving water bodies.

Based on UAB NPDES permit the OH&S Environmental Management team monitors and reports the permitted water discharge point sources for pH and temperature monthly. There are twenty-five permitted discharge points at UAB, however, NPDES permit requires UAB to monitor and report only three of them. The Permit specifications for monitoring the discharge point sources are as follows:

Effluent Characteristics

Units

Discharge Limitations

Monitoring Requirements

Daily Minimum

Daily Maximum

Monthly Average

Measurement Frequency

Sample Type

Flow

G/day

-

Monitor

Monitor

1/month

Instantaneous

pH

s.u.

6.0

9.0

Monitor

1/month

Grab

Temperature

°F

-

90

-

1/month

Grab

Data of each monitored point is then compiled and submitted to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management "ADEM" through the discharge monitoring report system (DMR). The DMR's are submitted monthly electronically at https://e2.adem.alabama.gov/NPDES/. Non-compliance at any monitoring point is reported to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management during each reporting period.